CONGRATULATIONS to Cheshire East for appointing a new Chief Executive at a salary of £151,000.

That compares very nicely to Great Britain’s Chief Executive, the Prime Minister, who is paid £149,440. I hadn’t realised that running a small council was the equivalent of running the British nations. Oh well, what do I know?

After all, it seems to be very good value for money. I often wonder how many other folk on Cheshire East Council are paid more than £100,000. Clearly not enough of them.

Of course, as far as the public sector is concerned, there is always value for money because there will always be a magic money tree.

Take, as an example, the profligacy – oops, I mean carefully considered – £67,000 expenditure that Knutsford Town Council splashed out when in dispute with the owner of La Belle Epoque. Not to mention the £50,000 per annum to be spent on three new positions within the council. Who pays? Why the magic money tree.

And, of course, there is the new little green bucket and biodegradable sacks delivered to every household in Cheshire East with a leaflet extolling us to put our food waste into our compost bins.

How much did that little exercise cost? I really wouldn’t mind this little green bucket nonsense so much, aside from the fact that despite leaving our ‘green’ bin out for several weeks it still remains as full as ever because no-one ever arrives in a big lorry to empty it.

Put our waste food into it and I can almost smell the wonderful aroma...

Could it just be the public sector mentality of spending every penny of the budget as the fiscal year end draws to a close so as not to have any money left?

It’s enough to make grown-ups weep.

John McDonald, Ashley